Reflection: Luke 11:1-4

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 11:1-4

“Lord, teach us to pray!” These words are simple yet very powerful. Many of us learned to pray when we were young children. We learned the Hail Mary, Our Father, and other prayers. As we matured, the prayer forms that were meaningful to us as children gradually may have become rote prayers.

As adults, we may need to explore other prayer forms that possibly could be meaningful to us at this stage in our lives. The Hail Mary, Our Father, etc., most likely will still be a meaningful prayers for us. However, our lives may be enhanced by trying a different way of praying periodically. It may open us to experiencing new facets of God!

Today may we also say to Jesus: “Lord, teach us to pray!” Then may we have open, listening minds and hearts!

Reflection: Luke 10:38-42

Tuesday of the 27^th Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 10:38-42

Today we have the familiar story of Martha and Mary.  As we know, Martha was the workaholic and Mary was the contemplative.  When Jesus came to the town where Mary and Martha lived, he went to their home.  Martha welcomed him and then immediately went to the kitchen to prepare a delicious meal for him.  Most likely Jesus had not had a home-cooked meal in quite a while.

Mary, however, sat down at Jesus’ feet.  She talked with him and listened attentively to him.  Over time, Martha began to get angry.  She was doing all the work!  In Martha’s mind, the least Mary could do was ask her if she needed some help.  However, Mary did not do so.  Martha was upset and angry.  Here she was slaving away at the stove while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet.

Finally Martha’s anger escalated to the point where she had to express it.  She said to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that Mary has left me to do all the work?  Tell her to help me!”  However, Jesus does not respond to Martha as she anticipated.  Jesus gently scolded Martha for being so anxious and worried.  He then tells Martha: “There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Now put yourself in Martha’s shoes.  How do you think you would respond to this seeming reprimand?  Would you react as Martha did (at least initially)?  Or would you pause and reflect on Jesus’ statement and your reaction to his statement?  Or would you think to ourselves: am I jealous of Mary’s relationship with Jesus?  Or are my priorities out of order?’

Today Jesus is asking each of us: What takes priority in my life?  One way to answer this question might be to ask ourselves: How do I use my time?  Do I fritter it away?  Do I work 12 hours a day?  Do I spend quality time with the people I care about?  Do I make time for prayer?  Do I spend time with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

No one else needs to know the answers to these questions.  However, your answers to these questions may give you some insight into your life.  In our busy and distracting world, it is very easy to get off-track.  Today Jesus is inviting us to come away and spend time with him.  What a wonderful invitation!  Will we accept this invitation?  Or will we ignore it?

Reflection: Luke 10:25-37

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time - Luke 10:25-37

The Gospel for today is a familiar one. It begins with a scholar of the law testing Jesus. The scholar asks Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus fires a question back at him and asks the scholar what the law says. The man replies correctly: “You should love God wholeheartedly and also love your neighbor.” Jesus agreed that he replied correctly.

The scholar however is not satisfied with his answer. He then asks Jesus another question: “Who is my neighbor?” Once again Jesus does not answer him directly. Rather Jesus describes a scenario in which a man who was traveling alone was robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the roadside. Eventually a priest came by, ignored him and continued on his way. Later a Levite (a holy man) came along. He also made it a point to pass by on the other side of the road. He did not want to be contaminated by this unclean man. Then a while later a Samaritan came along. The Samaritans were a people despised by many of the Jews because they were a mixed society with both Jewish and pagan ancestry. Yet it was this despised man who stopped and cared for the injured man. He even took him to an inn and paid for him to be nursed back to health. His actions clearly spoke of his love of neighbor.

In today’s world most of us are cautioned to be careful — especially with strangers. And to a degree this is good advice. However, in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to reach out and care for those who are in need—despite their race, religion, or political opinions.

Today may we open our eyes, mind and heart to someone who is in need and do what we can to care for them. May we have the eyes of Jesus and see every person as he does — one of God’s beloved.

Reflection: Luke 17:5-10

The 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 17:5-10

In the Gospel for this 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus tells his disciples: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, “Be uprooted and transplanted into the sea” and it would obey you.  If one of you had a servant plowing or herding sheep and he came in from the field, would you say to him, ‘Come and sit down at table’?  Would you not rather say to the servant:  “Prepare my supper and then wait on me while I eat and drink; then after I have finished, you can sit down to eat and drink”?  

Jesus looks directly at His disciples and says: “Would you be grateful to the servant who simply was doing his duty?  It is the same with you who hear me.  When you have done all you have been commanded to do, say: ‘We are useless servants.  We have done no more than our duty.’”  The Master is not demeaning the servant; rather he simply is expecting him to do the job he was hired to do.  

We are Jesus’ servants in today’s world.  If you are reading this commentary, I assume you consider yourself a servant and disciple of Jesus.  Ask yourself: What do you expect from Jesus?  Do you expect praise or a reward for doing what you have been called to do?  

If we believe that we are disciples of Jesus in today’s world, how are spreading the message of Jesus?  What a blessing it is to be a servant of Jesus!  Every time we serve others we also are blessed.  Today be mindful of serving others.  It likely will be in the seeming small and insignificant actions.  Yet, if we “serve” in a spirit of love, they will be blessed and so will we!

Reflection: Luke 10:17-24

Saturday, of the 26^th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 10:17-24

This Gospel opens as the disciples are returning home from a mission trip.  The seventy-two disciples are rejoicing and elated.  They said to Jesus: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”  These disciples realized that it was not their power that enabled them to work wonders.  Rather, these wonders were wrought by the power of Jesus’ name.  However, Jesus cautions the disciples not to rejoice over their “power.”  Rather they should rejoice because their names are written in heaven.

Power is extremely seductive.  We often hear stories of “how the mighty have fallen” because they were seduced by power of money or control or perhaps by their lack of self-esteem.  Our human reality is that we all need a healthy sense of personal power.  We need to know that we do have a voice.  We need to know that we have the power to make decisions and that we also can influence others.  Yet if we are not mindful, our need for control or power may begin to control us.  Today Jesus instructs us to rejoice not because we are powerful.  Rather we are to rejoice because our names are written in heaven.

Jesus wants us to rejoice in God and in God’s love for us.  Rejoicing in God is to be our primary quest and aim.  Today may we strive to be mindful of God’s love and presence with us.  May we rejoice in this precious gift!