“We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.” (Heb 10: 24)

We can motivate or demotivate one another; we can “consider how to rouse one another” or discourage one another. We can do both, but God remind us: “we MUST consider how to rouse” because of the goal—“to love and good works.” Every day God’s word does the same for us: inspires us to love and good works. We can do it for our brothers and sisters—“to rouse one another.”

“A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Mk 3: 34-35)

The first act of our adoption by God. The next one would be on the cross: “this is your mother, this is your son,” when we were adopted into Our Lord’s family by His Mother. But the first one was done here, when He mentioned all the people: “whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” The will of God is very simple: to love one another.

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God”(1 Jn 4:7)

“So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.” (Lk 1: 62-64)

For nine months Zechariah was mute, and when his wife Elizabeth “gave birth to a son,” Zechariah’s first words were “blessing God”: “his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.” The gift of speaking is for speaking blessings. This is the best way to use our tongues. When we bless God, we proclaim His presence among us and all His miracles for us. When we bless God, we protect each others’ dignity.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” (Communion Antiphon)

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…” (Is 40: 1-2)

Our merciful God always takes care of us. He knows our difficult lives, our weaknesses and limitations, which constantly humiliate us; our good will and many good promises, which fade with the end of the week. He knows all about it and still loves us because His love is unconditional, patient and kind; He speaks tenderly to us. And so should we.

“The day of the Lord is near: Behold, he comes to save us.” (Gospel Acclamation)

It’s been one year since you started receiving my short homilies.

I strongly believe that Our Lord’s Word answers all our questions and needs. It’s been a beautiful experience for me to share with you my reflections based on the Daily Readings. I usually wrote them very early in the morning, but sometimes, in a very busy schedule, I needed to stay up very late (once I spent almost 5 hours trying to finish a homily, fighting with sleep). Sometimes I had to come up with a piece two or three days in advance, but generally it was always the best time I had. What I did was meditating and asking for the words for you, my dear Brothers and Sisters, my spiritual children.

I also wanted the homilies to be part of assistance after Program I+YOU=WE for the Love and Life Programs participants: a word of inspiration for your marriage–to help you follow your vocation of a spouse and make the best of it.

I would like to say a very special “thank you” to people who have been helping me and are invisible:

to Carol–a former teacher of academic writing–for sharing her outstanding proofreading talents with us, her availability and prayers,
to Margaret–our Editor-in-Chief–for her dedication, edition, publication and beautiful pictures on Facebook, which make the homilies more understandable (one picture is worth 1000 words),

to Majo – our translator in Spanish, and to Beatriz – our great supporter in Latinamerica (and from time to time – also translator),

to Agnieszka Buczkowska, who used to translate the blog post together with Margaret before my wiritng in English here began one year ago

“Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” (Lk 21: 14-15)

Our Lord defends us and supports us with His wisdom all the time, especially when we are sent to be His witnesses and to give testimony. The same happens when we are our own persecutors in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation—He comes as a Defender and Comforter, not as a judge or persecutor. When we are defenders like He Himself, we can bring new hope and new opportunities to our brothers and sisters.

“The Lord speaks of peace to his people and his holy ones and to those who turn to him.” (Entrance Antiphon)

“I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” (Lk 21: 3-4)

It is very good if we have more than others and we can “put in” to support them, but sometimes “more” doesn’t mean only more money: “this poor widow put in more than all the rest.” Sometimes “more” means the ability to be an unconditional gift of self–when we are focused on another person not on ourselves, or when we can offer 5 minutes of our precious time, one phone call or a nice complement just to make her/him (even “more”) happy.

“Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Let us love one another. For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.”

Sometimes we forget that the commandments are not to forbid us or to take something from us, but are for love. “Love one another” is the shortest summary of The Old and New Testament.

St. John Paul II reminds us that in Jesus Christ, God the Father loves us humanly. We prayed in the Collect: “clothe us, Lord God, with the virtues of the Heart of your Son and set us aflame with his love.” This is the only reason Our Lord was sent to us, to assure us that we are loved. Whoever experiences rejection, violence, lack of tenderness and loneliness should come to His Heart. And whoever has done anything wrong, has hurt anybody or has done something that they still feel ashamed of should come to His Heart. Bl. Pope Paul VI again reminds us: “for when He came, not to judge, but to save the world, was He not bitterly severe toward sin, but patient and abounding in mercy toward sinners? Husbands and wives, therefore, when deeply distressed by reason of the difficulties of their life, must find stamped in the heart and voice of their priest the likeness of the voice and the love of our Redeemer.” (HV, 29) Our Lord will never leave us alone in our need: He will send us consolation; maybe we will receive a phone call from a friend, or the daily reading will bring us comfort.

“Thus says the Lord: Let whoever is thirsty come to me and drink. Streams of living water will flow from within the one who believes in me.” (Communion Antiphon)

“I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother. Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ to order you to do what is proper, I rather urge you out of love…” (Phlm 1: 7-9)

Whatever we do out of love touches Our Lord’s heart. We can do things properly; we can do things joyfully, or we can do things heartily. The same thing was done, but our attitude is different, and we can change the way in which we respond to each other. Our Lord urges us today to be with Him and with our brothers and sisters in a very new way.

“Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends.” (Communion Antiphon)