“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Lk 6: 38)
We know that demands can destroy any relationship. Behind my demands I have my vision (so often very idealistic) of another person, my expectations, and my rights. Being oriented to giving helps me understand the needs of the other person. The more we give, the more we receive.
“If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours…”” (Lk 6:20)
Our Lord completely reverses the order of the world. Blessed are the poor, hungry, weeping, and when people hate you—everything normally associated with “woe.” And on the other hand, we have “woe” to all the signs of “prosperity” — again normally associated with a “blessing.” To be more or to have more?
“Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles…” (Lk 6:12-13)
St. Benedict described life dedicated to God as an ora et labora – pray and work (or pray and labor). Prayer and work are partners; contemplation and action are not in opposition to each other but need each other. Our Lord “spent the night in prayer to God,” and after that “he chose Twelve.”
“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)
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
Our Lady is the one “who loves God” in a most unique way. We can see how “all things work for good” in her life. We are also “called according to His purpose”; with her help, when we dedicate our lives to her, we can come closer to Him.
“Behold, the Virgin will bear a son, who will save his people from their sins.” (Communion Antiphon)
“After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’ Simon said in reply, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.” (Lk 5: 4-6)
Our part is—“work hard,” His—“a great number of fish.” All the fruits of our apostolic work depend on Him: “at your command.” Sometimes we think that we know better—“we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing”; but even then we can say: BUT, “but at your command”… and put our trust in Him and His word and not on our experience and knowledge.
“How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you.” (Communion Antiphon)
“To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Lk 4:43)
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hbr 13:8). Our Lord always visits every town with “the good news of the Kingdom of God.” We can meet Him in every tabernacle, every Church and every human being. More or less visible, but always present. He brings the good news to me, to you and to the world.
“The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“They were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.’” (Lk 4:36)
How happy we are, protected all the time by His word. He uses His authority and power against everything which is tries to attack us. For us He is full of compassion, mercy and tenderness, but for the “unclean spirits” He shows all His power and authority.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.” (Entrance antiphon)
“I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:2)
Nothing more, nothing less—Jesus Christ crucified—is the only answer to all our needs, questions and difficulties. Inviting Him into our lives and letting Him work through us is the true wisdom.
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Communion Antiphon)
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rom 12: 2)
How to recognize God’s will? We pray everyday: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Is the will of God for us to be holy, or to do whatever comes to our mind as God’s will, or to spend more time praying; is God’s will very detailed or just general, giving general directions not single steps? Of course everything listed above could be God’s will. We know that finally, whatever we can say about His will could be reduced to “love one another as I have loved you.”
Today we receive a very short reminder, a short instruction, to be sure that we are following the will of God: “what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
First of all—good, objectively good; what we do is right and proper: a good action. Second—pleasing, causing us to feel happy and satisfied: good emotions. Third—perfect; perfect to us today sounds like absolute perfection, but the Greek word here is “teleios”; “teleios” means “mature,” or “complete.” When we have good, right action (like going to church on Sunday) and good emotions (I am so happy being here; I am smiling and fully satisfied), we are mature and complete persons “content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself” (HV 9).
“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 our call.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.” (1 Cor 1:27-29)
How dangerous is boasting! How carefully God protects the human being from boasting! Our good deeds, our good words, our good interactions and our support for others based on God bring beneficial fruit to the Church. Whatever we have we received from God.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
