“I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (LK 10: 18-20)
Our names can be “written in heaven” because we are His children, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him. And this is the most important reason for joy: to be with Him forever, not to do something spectacular for Him. Always first is our identity; creativeness, what we do, comes from our identity, not vice versa. Heaven is full of names, not of actions.
“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” (MT 18: 10)
One of my favorite feasts: the Holy Guardian Angels. Our God, in His merciful heart, decided to help us with a very special gift: every person in the world receives one Angel as a protector, helper and guardian. Angels, who “always look upon the face of heavenly Father,” at the same moment are able to lead us to Him, and when we are in trouble, in need or distracted can protect us, help us and guard us. Today we can show them all our gratitude.
“Bless the LORD, all you angels, you ministers, who do his will.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel.” (NEH 8: 1)
We know that the Bible is not only “prescribed for Israel,” but also for all of us. And we know, from the history of Israel, what happened, when Israel for many, many years forgot about the Bible and lived without it. The story given today by Nehemiah is part of it. Also today we celebrate the feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. She was so dedicated to God’s word and her desire was, if she only could, to learn Greek and Hebrew to read the Bible in their original languages—because of her respect for God’s word. The Bible is our guide and instruction for how to respect God’s love and presence in our lives.
“The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.’ Jesus answered him, ‘No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.’” (LK 9: 61-62)
Jesus, who spent 30 years in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, never was against “family at home.” The role of the family is not to keep members together forever but to send them into the world enriched by the love, values and good strategies of service to others. “The Kingdom of God” will grow with us or without us. IF with us—we need to be fit for this.
“I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”
“War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.” (RV 12: 7-8)
One of the greatest gifts we have received from God is the protection of the Angels. Today we celebrate the feast of some of them, the most prestigious angels, called by their extraordinary missions Archangels: Michael—“Who is like God,” Gabriel—“Strength of God,” and Rafael—“God heals.” Three different missions and three different times but the same love for God and the same will to serve Him. Even their names, like their missions, are focused on God.
“Bless the LORD, all you angels, you ministers, who do his will.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.’” (LK 9: 46-48)
Very natural among men is the tendency to compete: “which of them is the greatest.” The “intention of their hearts” could be very dangerous for them and for the mission. The main mission for the apostles is to be ambassadors of God’s love and to imitate and embody Jesus’ mission. The simplicity, trust and dependence of children illustrates the true nature of their mission better than greatness.
“The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!” (NM 11: 29)
Prophesying is not foretelling the future but speaking with enraptured enthusiasm about God’s miracles and seeing the world and our lives from God’s perspective. We can see the world from our limited perspective, which could be quite easily very selfish, or from God’s perspective, when we can see the world much wider and when we look for the common good.
“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.” (ZEC 2: 14-15)
Our identity is defined by our relationships: we are sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, husbands or wives and fathers or mothers. The same reality applies to consecrated people. But the most important is our relationship with Our Lord, who is always coming “to dwell among us,” so we can “be his people.”
“Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“And take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work! For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts. This is the pact that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my spirit continues in your midst; do not fear!” (HG 2: 4-5)
God needs our work; somehow it is important to Him and probably even more for us; we need His presence and the constant reassurance of His love for us. He promised—“this is the pact that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my spirit continues in your midst.” So often we feel alone, abandoned and full of fear. And He encourages us—“do not fear… and work.”
“The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak.” (HG 1: 1)
It was exactly on August 29, 520 B.C. At that time “the word of the Lord” needed prophets to come. Later “the word became flesh and dwelt among us.” But the true nature of the word in the Old Testament and in the New Testament is the same—to be a message from God and about God; about His merciful love for us and His forgiveness and grace. And it doesn’t matter which way “the word of the Lord came”; He always comes to people, to us: governors and priests, ordinary people and nobles, consecrated people and spouses, as well as widows and singles. And it always brings hope and joy because we are loved by God.
“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
