because you belong to Christ

February 28, 2019 6:00 am

“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” (MK 9: 41)

How detailed is Our Lord’s love for us: He loves us and He is so grateful if “anyone gives us a cup of water to drink because we belong to Him.” His reward goes to those who recognize our relationship with Him. He makes us connected with others who also serve Him.

“Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)

a mighty deed in my name

February 27, 2019 6:00 am

“Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (MK 9: 39-40)

We are invited to “perform a mighty deed” for our spouses, our children and our friends. We are invited to live in the most amazing way—as a gift of selves. When we “perform a mighty deed in His name,” we connect our actions with Him; we learn from Him, Who is “the way and the truth and the life,” how to protect our relationships and how to grow together in love with Him.

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

I do believe, help my unbelief!

February 25, 2019 6:00 am

“Then he questioned his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’
He replied, ‘Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief!’” (MK 9: 21-23)

How easy it is for us to identify ourselves with this father: “I do believe, help my unbelief!” We are believers, but at the same moment we desperately need His help to believe stronger, in every moment of our lives. He is compassionate; He helps and He knows how to answer our needs; He loves because He is also a Father.

“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)

But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual

February 24, 2019 6:00 am

“But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.” (1 COR 15: 46-49)

This is our strategy with our Love and Life Programs. Because “the first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven,” we start from the earthly perspective, from what we can do to improve our relationship. Of course we remember that we are also “the heavenly one,” and we also have spiritual Programs, but first things first.

“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation)

This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.

February 23, 2019 6:00 am

“Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice,
‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’ Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.” (MK 9: 7-8)

This is God’s will for us: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” When we participate in the Holy Mass, when we read the Bible or just the Daily Readings, or when we adore Him before the Blessed Sacrament are many ways we can “listen to Him.” When we are married, “listening to Him” means also to respect our vocation and to take care of the time important for our relationship. When a husband and wife do not protect the time to listen to each other, it will be more difficult for them to “listen to Him.”

“The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” (Gospel Acclamation)

You are Peter

February 22, 2019 6:00 am

“Jesus said to him in reply, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’” (MT 16: 17-19)

Yesterday we listened to Our Lord’s words to St. Peter about how he thinks, and it was so difficult for him to be compared to Satan. It doesn’t mean that Peter was rejected. He was corrected in how he thought. Our Lord loves us and wants us closer to Him, to fulfill our vocation and our mission in this world.

“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Thinking not as God does, but as humans beings do

February 21, 2019 6:00 am

“Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.’” (MK 8: 32-33)

Even St. Peter had difficult moments and had his limits. He was chosen to be the first among the Apostles, but it didn’t protect him from “thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” The same can happen with us. It helps when we are used to starting our days with a daily meditation on His words. Our Lord will help us to think “as God does.”

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.” (Gospel Acclamation)

I see people looking like trees

February 20, 2019 5:26 pm

“He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ Looking up the man replied, ‘I see people looking like trees and walking.’ Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.” (MK 8: 23-25)

Sometimes we can see people only “looking like trees.” We need Our Lord’s touch; we need Him to lay “hands on our eyes” to see “clearly,” to “see everything distinctly.” When people are for us like objects, like means to our ends, we are in danger. We need to see their dignity, their own purposes and lives.

“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call.” (Gospel Acclamation)

of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs

February 19, 2019 6:00 am

“Then the LORD said to Noah: ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just. Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate; likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs, a male and a female, and of all the unclean birds, one pair, a male and a female. Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.'” (GEN 7: 1-3)

Whatever is good (“the clean”), should be multiplied seven times. We cannot completely eliminate “the unclean,” but we can take care of everything which is good and multiply it. If for every one of our weaknesses we do seven good actions, we can change this world for the better.

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

Hold up your head

February 18, 2019 6:00 am

“The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. So the LORD said to Cain: ‘Why are you so resentful and crestfallen. If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.’” (GEN 4: 4-7)

When we do well, we “can hold up our heads,” but when we are looking only for our own satisfaction or for our own good, we look at others as a means to our end; then the way we look at others appears selfishness. We can’t express honesty, love and care for others. The same happens in married lives–when we look at our spouses with love, our heads are up; when we look at our spouses with expectations and demands, we scowl.

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)