“Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it” (Is 55:10-11).
We are invited to be “fertile and fruitful.” In different ways, but still it is our vocation: for couples, the unmarried and the consecrated. When we open the daily readings to listen to Him, we change our life into fertile and fruitful. He only expects from us that we will open our hearts for Him and He will bring a word for me, which is able to change my life totally.
“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will have life for ever” (Gospel Acclamation).
“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10: 19-20).
God takes care for us in every condition, in every situation. Especially when we are on our mission to proclaim the Gospel. “Spirit of our Father” will speak through us. The more we pray to the Holy Spirit, the more we are connected, the more we are open and sensitive to His suggestions.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth and remind you of all I told you” (Gospel Acclamation).
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest’” (Mt 9: 37-38).
Our Lord’s request is still valid; we urgently need “laborers for his harvest.” The number of vocations has decreased. Our Lord gave us the solution: “ask the master of the harvest.” Because the vocation to the priesthood is to serve to the community, so the community is responsible for asking.
“I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me” (Gospel Acclamation).
“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8: 13).
St. Paul often uses these opposites: in the spirit—in the flesh. The first calls us to life, to eternity, to everlasting communion with God—the second calls us to the world, to life from my perspective and focused on my pleasure. His conclusion is so sharp: “you will live”—“you will die”.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him” (Communion Antiphon).
“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Mt 9:15).
The best advice for moments when we feel like we have lost contact with Our Lord: “the bridegroom is taken away.” Fasting helps us gain a better perspective on our daily needs and moves us faster and closer to Him. When we fast, our spirit grows. It reminds us about our final home, how to get there and what kind of life waits for us.
“Blessed is the servant whom the Lord finds watching when he comes. Amen, I say to you: He will put that servant in charge of all his property.” (Communion Antiphon)
“I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mt 9: 13)
Lucky we.
Our creation and vocation is based on truth: truth about God—who is Love, and truth about us—who are sinners. We can’t go to Heaven because we have done something good to deserve Heaven. Heaven is not a reward for good action, a place where the winner is the best doer; it is a place where the winner is the one who loves most. Being sinners doesn’t mean we can’t love. It means that even if we love so much, we still need redemption and guidance. And He takes care of us. He has come to call sinners, to call us. Lucky we.
“With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in your light, we see light” (Communion Antiphon)
“Through Him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph 2: 21-22).
We are “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”. When we meet others, we can worship together. All of us, but especially families who “in him … are being built together.” When He is invited personally to be a part of the family and the family prays together, “through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord.” Believing families determine the future of the world.
“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)
“Seek good and not evil, that you may live.” (Am 5: 14)
Our life takes us to eternity; it has the beginning but no end. We will only change place from earth to … heaven or hell. Seek good – this brings us to heaven.
“The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creature.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Mt 8:25)
When we are in danger, in a very bad emotional state, under huge stress, when “a violent storm came up” on us, so that our life is “being swamped by waves,” we should cry out like the apostles. He is always close to us to help, to rescue and to save us.
“I trust in the Lord, my soul trust in his word.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (Mt 8:19)
Declaration which every seminarian understands perfectly: “wherever you go”. We would like to conquer the whole world for Our Lord. Later, the idea slowly moves from “wherever” to determining “where.” The only way to avoid this temptation is to focus on Him; with the accent on “follow you” and only then “wherever you go.” It is more difficult for us, men, to be focused on a person rather than on action, but… it’s crucial.
“O Father, I pray for them, that they may be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me, says the Lord.” (Communion Antiphon)
