designated in the Church

September 18, 2018 6:00 am

“Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.” (1 COR 12: 28)

We have different roles and different vocations as well as different talents and different gifts but the same purpose in life—to serve our brothers and sisters. We are “designated in the Church to be” servants and supporters and to be transmitters of Gods grace. As parents or friends and in our workplaces and streets, we can bring people closer to Our Lord.

“A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Jesus was amazed at him

September 17, 2018 6:00 am

“When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.” (LK 7: 9-10)

“Jesus was amazed at him.” And in the same way, He looks at us whenever we fight for our relationship with Him, when we grow and when we say we are sorry when we go to confession. He is amazed, like parents are amazed, watching the progress of their children. He never is upset or disappointed because love is always focused on the good.

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.” (Gospel Acclamation)

to save his life

September 16, 2018 6:00 am

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” (MK 8: 34-35)

Again and again Our Lord reminds us that there is only one way to reach our full potential as God’s children—to be givers of selves, which means: “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.” “Deny yourself,” because you live for the beauty of your spouse; “take up your cross,” because we will never find love without the cross, and we will not lift the cross without love (JPII); “follow Him,” because we are weak, limited sinners, and we desperately need His presence and grace to fulfill our mission.

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Taking the form of a slave

September 14, 2018 6:00 am

“Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (PHIL 2: 6-8)

Our Lord “took the form of a slave” to serve us, to bring us closer to Him and to His Heavenly Father and finally to save us, “becoming obedient to death” and taking us to Heaven. When we serve and when we are givers of selves, we imitate Him and we make the lives of our brothers and sisters happier.

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Give and gifts will be given to you

September 13, 2018 6:00 am

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (LK 6: 38)

There are two different worlds seen from the perspective of the gift: when we are focused on giving or when we are focused on receiving. The givers are happy to share, to give something away and to make someone happy; the receivers are happy only when they receive and are always expecting something from someone. St. Paul reminds us: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (ACTS 20: 35)

“If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day

September 12, 2018 6:00 am

“Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!’” (LK 6: 20-23)

“It is good, because…,” says one of our strategies from Program 1. We see the world from our perspective, temporary; God sees the world from His perspective, eternally. Our today’s reasons for “weeping,” tomorrow could change for laughing. When we put our lives into Our Lord’s hands, we can expect from Him only the best.

“Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)

washed, sanctified and justified

September 11, 2018 6:00 am

“That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 COR 6: 11)

From Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist to the Last Rites, we are supported all the time by God’s grace. We are never abandoned and never forgotten—always loved and protected. With every confession we receive the same grace: washed, sanctified and justified.

“I chose you from the world, that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)

a reason to accuse him

September 10, 2018 6:00 am

“The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.” (LK 6: 7)

Our mistaken patterns of interpretation in our inner dialog are often directed to the same goal: “discover a reason to accuse” him or her. We are “watching him/her closely” not to admire, but to accuse. When we become our spouse’s advocate, we change the way we watch.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Speak plainly

September 9, 2018 6:00 am

“And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’— that is, ‘Be opened!’ — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.” (MK 7: 32-35)

Sometimes we experience a different kind of “speech impediment.” The same thing happened to the man from today’s Gospel: “people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment”; Our Lord first “put his finger into man’s ears” and second “touched his tongue.” Regarding our problems with communication, with “a speech impediment,” we should start to solve them with our ability to listen with respect and to try to understand more than to be understood—when “the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.”

“Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people.” (Gospel Acclamation)

do not make any judgment before the appointed time

September 7, 2018 6:05 am

“Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.” (1 COR 4: 5)

God is beyond time, He lives eternally; time has a huge role in our lives— preparing us to live in Heaven. We do not know “the appointed time” when our growth or maturity is finished; we do not know if it is the end of the process, just the beginning, or maybe we are in the middle of the process, so it is better for us not to “make any judgment” because we could be wrong.

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)