“Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it.” (GN 28: 12)
It was Jacob’s dream, but shows reality. We are surrounded by God’s messengers, who are always “going up and down” with our prayers, intentions and thanksgiving. We can’t see them, but they really protect us, guide us and help us. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and holy Mass are like “stairways rested on the ground, with the top reaching to the heavens.”
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 COR 12: 9)
Perfectionism and evangelical perfection are not the same. The first one is self oriented, and the second one is based on our love for God, where everything is for Him and where—and this is the most important and the most differentiating aspect—our weakness does not oppose perfection but is an obstacle to it. Weakness is something we will always have. “For power is made perfect in weakness.” It is not about me; it is about God’s love for me. “My grace is sufficient for you.”
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.’” (MT 9: 15)
Fasting has a long tradition in the spiritual life, not just in the Catholic Church. Fasting is universal. Our Lord gave us a special rule for fasting: whenever we feel abandoned or rejected, whenever we feel more like “wake guests” than “wedding guests” or when we feel that “the bridegroom is taken away from us,” “then we should fast.” Fasting opens our eyes to the inner world.
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord. I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.” (EPH 2, 19)
No one likes to be a stranger, especially among people who are very familiar with each other. It is like being a foreigner at the border where “fellow citizens” can go without any complications and you have to wait in a long line for interrogation at the immigration office, where an officer, even in a nice way, asks you: “why are you here”? “Give me a real reason to accept you in my country”. Fortunately, in Heaven we are “members of the household of God.” We are expected and longed for.
“You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!” (Gospel Acclamation)
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” (MT 9, 2)
The most important thing is “forgiven sins.” More important than health. Because “sins” means: I do not need God; I have better plan for myself; I am independent and self-sufficient. When we accept God’s unique gift of forgiveness and mercy, we can base our life with Him and with our brothers and sisters on true values: trust, relationship, protection, dependence and love.
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”. (Gospel Acclamation)
“Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.” (MT 8: 34)
Like Jesus Christ “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (HBR 13: 8), the same is the reaction to Jesus in many places in the world: from Hosannah to “they begged him to leave their district.” No crosses in public places, no place for Jesus in public spaces, and the Church tolerated only when hidden in churches. It happens not only in Muslim countries but happens also in my Poland, in Europe, and in Christian Europe. In difficult moments of our lives, when we have lost a job or money, when abandoned or rejected, we can “beg him to stay.”
“The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, ‘On your way! Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom.’”
God’s love gave us angels as protectors and friends. My Guardian Angel is all the time “at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide.” Sometimes we have to allow them to take us ”to safety outside the city.” Vacations are perfect to focus on our relationships: “take with you your wife and your children” and go away, go “to safety.”
“I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“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 loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (MT 16: 17-19)
Our Church, founded by Jesus, is built on one person, on Peter, the rock: “upon this rock I will build my Church,” not because he was the most holy person in the world or perfectly talented to keep “the keys to the Kingdom of heaven,” but because He was chosen by Our Lord. He gives him not only “the keys” but also His personal friendship. The role of the Pope is to protect the Church—“the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” and bind and loose—“whatever he loosens on earth shall be loosened in heaven.” But the most important part of Peter’s role is not only to lead the Church but also to protect the doctrine of Apostolic succession.
“You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.” (2 COR 8: 13-14)
When we have something more than our brothers and sisters, we can share this with them: “supply their needs.” When we have something less than others, this gives them the opportunity to share with us: “their abundance may also supply your needs.” It could be 10 minutes more I have; it could be one experience more I have; it could be … something really simple, but creativity in charity could bring me closer to my brothers and sisters.
“Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The centurion said in reply, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.’” (MT 8: 8)
The incredible answer of the centurion is preserved in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Every one of us, before receiving Holy Communion, says exactly the same words—“I am not worthy…”. With these words we communicate our respect for the power of God’s word—“only say the word” and express humility and awareness of our limitations.
“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Gospel Acclamation)
