Reflection: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast - Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

This Gospel begins with the words: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.” Matthew then details the story of Mary’s betrothal to Joseph and the appearance of the angel announcing to Mary that she would bear a child. However, Mary’s child would be not conceived with Joseph, her spouse. Mary must have had a loving and trusting relationship with God long before the angel appeared to her and announced this good news, because she accepted the angel’s announcement without hesitation.

Mary is a model for us. Mary knew God and she trusted God. She was willing to place herself in a very awkward position when she responded to God’s call to bear God’s Son. She did not know how this would come about. Nor did she know what her future would be, but she did not hesitate in her response to the angel. She didn’t say to the angel: “I need to think about this and pray about this.” She simply said: “Let it be done to me.” Would we have such faith if an angel appeared to us and made such an astounding announcement to us?

Each one of us is called to bear Jesus Christ to our world every single day. Do we do believe that God can and will do amazing deeds through us? Do we trust that God walks with us each and every day, in good times and in difficult times?

Mary was chosen by God. However, we also have been chosen by God! Ask yourself: Do I truly believe this? Take some time today to sit quietly and several times say to yourself: “I am God’s chosen one.” Repeat that sentence several times and let this reality soak into your being!

Reflection: Luke 6:20-26

Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time – Luke 6:20-26

In this Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples: “Blessed are you who are poor. Blessed are you who are hungry. Blessed are you who are weeping. Blessed are you when people hate you, insult you, and denounce your name as evil.” Now honestly ask yourself: do you consider yourself blessed when you experience poverty, hunger, or other trials? Do you feel blessed if someone hates or dislikes you?

I doubt that any of us feel blessed when we have pain, sorrow, loss and confusion in our lives. It is more likely we may feel cursed or betrayed. We may be sad, afraid, or angry with God. Yet Jesus tells us to rejoice and to leap for joy on that day. He reassures us that we will have a great reward in heaven. However, this assurance most likely will not ease the pain, the sorrow, or the suffering we may be experiencing.

Jesus then continues with the “woes.” He says: “Woe to the rich, you have received your consolation. Woe to you whose bellies are filled, you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now; you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when people speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the prophets in this way.”

It is easy to take our blessings for granted until the difficult times come and we begin to experience the woes of life. Now take a moment and ask yourself: Do you consider it a blessing when you are hungry for love, joy, hope, companionship, spiritual nourishment, or (fill in the blank)? Or at these times do you feel abandoned by God or angry with Jesus? During painful and difficult times, it is almost natural to lose sight of the many ways we also are blessed. If we are struggling and in pain, our focus immediately shifts to the difficult or the frightening aspects of life.

Yet, even when we experience “woes”, we are blessed. We may have a spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, our Church community, a religious community, as well as other people who love and care for us. Hopefully, we have a roof over our heads and enough food on the table. And even during our times of woe, God is right beside us. However, we may not always feel God’s presence. And hopefully, during the woeful times, we have the family and friends who love and care for us.

When we are struggling with the woes, it may be helpful to sit down and focus on the blessings we are experiencing at this time. This may give us some perspective. We may realize that even though life may not be what we would like it to be, we receive many blessings every single day. True, they may seem like small blessings: a smile, a phone call from a friend, the beauty of the sunset or a hug from someone you love, but they still are blessings.

When you are in the woes of life, look for beauty, laughter, or quiet, or ask God for a hug! Who knows: you may be surprised what gift you may receive!

 

Reflection: Luke 6:12-19

Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time – Luke 6:12-19

Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus going up the mountain to pray. Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. It is immediately after this time of deep solitude and prayer that he called the twelve apostles. It is at this point Jesus began to preach, to teach, and to heal.

The word about Jesus must have already spread. The people of the area must have known that there was something very unusual about this man.  As Jesus came down the mountain, immediately he was surrounded by a great number of people from  Judea, Tyre, Sidon, and Jerusalem.

What was it that drew these people to Jesus? How had the word spread so quickly? In Jesus’ time there was no internet by which the word could be spread worldwide almost instantaneously. Yet, somehow the word about Jesus had spread far and wide! What were the stories these people heard about this itinerant preacher, Jesus? Or had they heard him preach and wanted to hear more from him?

The people wanted more than to just hear Jesus preach. In the Gospel Luke says: “Everyone was trying to touch him.” The people had heard that great power flowed out from Jesus. They had heard that he had the power to heal. They too had come wanting to be touched and healed by Jesus. What a gift that would be!

I assume that each of us also needs healing. The wound or injury may be an experience from the past or it may be a situation that is happening in our lives today. Today is an opportunity for each of us to come to Jesus and ask for the healing that we need and yearn for. Let us reach out and touch Jesus in some way today. It may be by prayer, reading this Scripture passage or just sitting quietly in the presence of Jesus. May we trust that Jesus will reach out and touch us in some loving and healing way today!

Reflection: Luke 6:6-11

Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 6:6-11

On the day of the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue and he began to teach. There was a man in the synagogue whose right hand was withered and useless. The Pharisees and scribes were closely observing Jesus, as was their custom, hoping that he would heal on the Sabbath.

Jesus realized that the Pharisees were watching him, hoping that he would break one rule or another, thus breaking the Sabbath. However, Jesus was wily. He told the man with the withered hand to come to him. Jesus then rose and asked the bystanders: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, to save a life than rather destroy it?” No one responded to his question. They all remained silent. Jesus looked around at everyone in the crowd. Then quietly he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” The man did so and his hand was completely restored.

The Pharisees were incensed at what Jesus had done. He had worked on the Sabbath. He had broken Jewish law. How dare he? The Pharisees were legalists and if the law said that no work was to be done on the Sabbath, no work should be done, even if it meant that you possibly could lose your crops, your animals, or your home. And clearly, the Pharisees considered healing as work. Thus, Jesus had broken the law.

For Jesus, however, love was the supreme law. Love for the person outweighed any other consideration, even the law of not working on the Sabbath.

What is the condition that you would ask Jesus to heal? What is the restoration for which you long? I assume that all of us have several conditions that we wish Jesus would heal. Today spend some time with Jesus. Look to him. Open your heart to his love and his healing energy. He will not fail you!

Reflection: Luke 14:25-33

23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Luke 14:25-33

The Gospel for today can be a difficult one to understand.  Jesus once again was on the road with his disciples and great crowds were following him.  At one point, Jesus turned to the crowds and addressed them.  He said: “If anyone comes to me who does not hate his father and mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, and even his or her own life, he or she cannot be my disciple.”  Jesus then adds:  “Whoever does not carry his or her cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

These are extremely strong words!  Did Jesus truly mean that we are to hate our parents, brothers, sisters, children and friends?  Or is Jesus telling us that if we choose to follow him we need to realize that Jesus needs to be first in our lives?  Jesus is making a very clear and strong point.  Our primary allegiance always needs to be to Jesus.  Jesus is not saying that we cannot or should not love and care for our families and our friends.  He realizes that we have committed ourselves to our families and we need to live out that commitment.

Rather, Jesus is telling his listeners what is essential.  First and foremost, Jesus must be first in our lives.  However, Jesus also wants us to love and care deeply for our family, our friends and for the world community.  Today may we strive to love each person we encounter: the person we pass in the grocery store, a co-worker who is struggling, or an individual we simply do not like.  The quality of love that Jesus hopes we will have for one another surpasses the simple notion of liking another person.  Rather, Jesus hopes that we truly will love every person in our world.  This may sound impossible.  However, with Jesus’ grace and love, we have the ability to do this.   Will we choose to do this?

Reflection: Luke 6:1-5

Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 6:1-5

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees continue to find fault with Jesus. The criticism this time is that Jesus’ disciples are picking grain from the fields and then having the audacity to eat it on the Sabbath. In the eyes of the Pharisees, the disciples were breaking the law. However, I don’t think Jesus would have been able to do anything right in the minds of the Pharisees. They were continually harassing and criticizing him.

Periodically we might need to ask ourselves: With whom do I find fault? Do I truly have legitimate cause to mentally or verbally criticize them? It is so easy to get into the pattern of finding fault with others. We all do it. Perhaps what is more important is that we recognize what we are doing. If we do that, then we can consciously shift our thoughts and let go of the judgment we are making.

At times we still need to be honest with others in an appropriate way. Before we speak, perhaps we can ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?” I have no doubt that Jesus will help us have the wisdom and discernment that we need!

Reflection: Luke 5:33-39

Friday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 5:33-39

Today, the Pharisees are criticizing Jesus for not being ascetical enough. In their eyes Jesus and his disciples should be fasting and praying more — a lot more! They think that Jesus should be as ascetical as John the Baptist and as ascetical as they are.

It is so tempting to criticize and judge others on the basis of what we see and observe. This is exactly what the Pharisees do in today’s Gospel. In their eyes, Jesus should be more like John the Baptist, eating locusts and wild honey. We all have our own standards of what we think is best and how others should act. However, I assume that most of us don’t appreciate it when another person criticizes or judges us simply by observing our behavior.

Jesus invites his listeners to look at the situation in a different way. He tells them that he is doing something new. Are we open to the new that Jesus may be inviting us to? This may be an uncomfortable invitation. Like the Pharisees, I can get comfortable with the ways things have always been. I may be tempted to criticize another person who is not doing things the way I think they should be done. Jesus is challenging the Pharisees, and us, to be open to other ways of doing things. He is challenging them not to judge others so quickly. Today may we be mindful of not jumping to judgment!

Reflection: Luke 5:1-11

Thursday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 5:1-11

Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus getting into a boat and teaching the crowds from offshore. After he finished teaching, Jesus told Simon to put out into deep water and to lower their nets. However, that was the last thing Peter wanted to hear. They had been fishing all day long and had caught nothing. Peter was tired and frustrated. He was ready to go home and rest. However, after a time Peter reluctantly said: “at your request I will lower the nets.” To Peter’s great surprise, they caught so many fish their nets began to tear!

I would guess that most of us could identify with Peter! We too have times in our lives when it seems like we are not succeeding. We may be making great efforts to live life well. We may be working diligently and doing our best. However, these efforts don’t seem to bear much fruit. At these times, it is natural to get disheartened and frustrated. However, will we be open and respond to Jesus’ invitation to “keep lowering our nets?” Or will we say, “Enough is enough?” Or will we listen to his call, heed his voice, and trust him? May we pray for the grace to have an open mind and a willing heart!