The Armor Of God | October 27, 2016

October 27, 2016

Today’s first reading is one that I have been praying with for some time now and I really wanted to write about it. Because we are not meant for this world there will always be a sort of underlying tension or dissatisfaction in our spirit. We battle to satiate this longing with the things of this world such as possessions, education, career, spouses, children, travel, etc., however, the spiritual tension never really subsides. It is a necessary hunger that is constantly trying to pull our souls to God, to love, to heaven, and there are alternate forces that also try to feed that hunger with unfortified food that tastes amazing, but at the end of the day the calories are empty and detrimental to our spiritual vitality.

They say it takes 21 days to establish a habit and when I once became a vegetarian, it was definitely a struggle within those first 21 days to even think that I could fully embrace that lifestyle. Once I was past that hump, however, I found that I could hardly remember what it was like to not be a vegetarian and I absolutely loved the way I felt and it became as natural as when I wasn’t vegetarian. Discipline is a key factor to spiritual growth.

The passage from Ephesians today gives us a plan for spiritual discipline in staying on guard against those subtle but powerful forces that want to steal our focus from the things that truly matter. Here are the six pieces of armor that Paul gives us:

1. The belt of truth buckled tightly around the waist. Belts hold things up and keep them where they are supposed to be. The truth of the matter is always love and bringing others to God. Synch that around the middle of your spiritual life and you will be well equipped for battle.
2. The breastplate of righteousness in place. Doing the right thing should be that which sits in front of our heart so that bullets, arrows, and daggers do not destroy it. We are each responsible for our own actions and the way we deal with conflict can make or break our hearts. Doing the right thing will keep your heart alive.
3. Your feet made ready with the Gospel of peace. My Bible study teacher often said that Bibles are made out of leather so that we could strap them to our feet like sandals and stand firmly planted on the living Word. It’s a great image, but St. Paul makes sure to emphasize the virtue of peace. If you are steeped in the Word, you will be a bearer of peace and mercy will be your most effective weapon. Those that do not choose mercy do not choose the Gospel.
4. In all circumstances use faith as a shield. Flaming arrows of slander, or judgment, or vengeance, or betrayal will most likely come our way, but our faith in God’s grace and our trust in the Lord’s power will block those arrows from penetrating our spirit. We just have to hold it in front of us, even when fatigue might set in.
5. Wear the helmet of salvation. We belong to Christ. We are heirs to the Kingdom. This knowledge will protect our thoughts from the negative voices that pelt us in times of distress. Remember whose you are and let that helmet keep your head safe.
6. Finally, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word. Again we hear that the Word of God is a vital weapon and defense against the things that spiritually destroy us. Use it to teach love and use it to show love. Love conquers all. Love never fails. And the greatest of these is love.

I encourage each of us to make our own morning prayer out of this passage and to visualize the putting on of each one of these pieces of armor. If we do this for 21 days, maybe we will be in the good habit (virtue) of living in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word. Have a blessed day.  

Reading 1 EPH 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Responsorial Psalm PS 144:1B, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Alleluia SEE LK 19:38; 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

I Know Him!! | October 26, 2016

October 26, 2016

There is an endearing scene in the Christmas movie Elf where Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) mistakenly joins the Christmas staff at the department store Gimbels. When the supervisor announces to the staff that Santa will be arriving the next day, Buddy exclaims with all the squealing enthusiasm of a wonder-filled child or a teenage girl who has just seen her favorite boy band and at the very top of his lungs: “SANTA!!!!!!!! I KNOW HIM!!!!!!!” (Please watch this 14-second clip to give you the right visual for the rest of this reflection…https://youtu.be/B3FSFXJmdp8 )  His love and joy for this man cannot be hidden or masked or mistaken. To be known is to be loved. Our deepest loves are our most intimate relationships. Intimacy, not in a physical way, but in the Matthew Kelly definition, “Intimacy is the mutual self-revelation that allows us to know and be known. Intimacy is the mutual sharing of the journey to fulfill our life purpose – to become the best-version-of-ourselves.”

Today’s gospel reminds us that God wants to be an intimate part of our lives; in fact, He wants to become the most intimate (mutual self-revelation) part of our lives. This is only way to be known by Him, and the only way to become that which we are really meant to be. The image of the door to eternity in Luke’s gospel today is a compelling one. When we knock and ask to be let in, it will be imperative that God, like Buddy the Elf, shout with all His might, “JEN!!!!!!! I KNOW HER!!!!!!!” Remember that intimacy is a mutual self-giving so we must also know Him. Satan is a very shiny and attractive character and, quite honestly, can be very easily mistaken if we are not completely intimate with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

So in what ways can you and I start to know Christ more intimately today and everyday? I might approach this like dating and go through all those initial icebreaker questions when you first start dating by reading the gospels. Then I’ll just think about him all the time and wonder what he’s doing at every minute of the day. Then I will spend hours on the phone with him in prayer just sharing my day and hearing about his. Of course there will be handholding and whispers. Eventually there will be a synchronization of all our thoughts, words, actions, and feelings. There will be a oneness that is as natural as breathing and my Beloved will know me and I will know him. It’s easer said than done, but today’s gospel reminds me of the gravity of not being known by him. I want Jesus to recognize me at the door to eternity, so I better reveal my everything to him without hesitation, including my dark, lonely, and sinful places, and in that revelation I will start to become the best-version-of-myself. And it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 EPH 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honor your father and mother.
This is the first commandment with a promise,
that it may go well with you
and that you may have a long life on earth.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling,
in sincerity of heart, as to Christ,
not only when being watched, as currying favor,
but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
willingly serving the Lord and not men,
knowing that each will be requited from the Lord
for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
Masters, act in the same way towards them, and stop bullying,
knowing that both they and you have a Master in heaven
and that with him there is no partiality.

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14

R. (13c) The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Alleluia SEE 2 THESS 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

Collecting Grace | October 25, 2016

October 25, 2016

I grew up in a house of “collections”. My parents collected a lot of things from decorative plates that you hang on the wall, to blue and white vases, to Thomas Kinkade model houses, to clocks of every shape and size, and my dad’s latest collection of baby Jesus’s from nativity sets (yes, just the baby Jesus in a manger part and not Mary or Joseph or any other characters in the nativity!) Dad was always fascinated with the infant Jesus because he just loves babies! Now that dad is gone, mom and I look around the house at all the collections and none of them seem to have much meaning. It’s just stuff and we reflect on the collections that really matter such as: dad’s stories that were, oh you know only about 20% true, but very entertaining, going on long drives after mass on Sundays, family tickle fights in my parent’s bed, answered prayers, love letters, knowing all the words to every Anne Murray song because we listened to her when we did our chores and every Christmas morning, or Barry Manilow because mom loved him, or Jim Croce because dad and I loved to swing dance to “Leroy Brown” in the living room.

These are the seeds and leavening that Jesus refers to in today’s gospel; those moments of actual grace that get stored in the soil and dough of our souls. These collections of actual grace bring about the Kingdom of God and the more we collect the bigger it grows and spreads. Over these past two weekends, several men and women (mustard seeds and yeast) experienced a showering of grace up at Whispering Winds Catholic Conference Center and Camp on a Cursillo weekend. The grace collections from this experience are still being sewn and kneaded into each person’s heart and the abundance of these tilled souls will make the presence of Christ known to all that will encounter them.

St. Luke uses two images of the Kingdom of God. The first is a male reality of the time in planting seeds in the ground that yield a much greater harvest than the size of these mustard seeds. The second is a female reference to making bread with yeast being an agent to multiply the volume of the wheat/flour. Luke was always concientious about including female imagery, which I just love, because one of Luke’s main resources for his gospel was the Blessed Mother herself. Obviously, Jesus was sensitive to include both male and female references in his teachings and I love that Mary and Luke made sure to include those in this gospel. The Kingdom of God is open to all.

So as we go throughout our week, let’s be aware of the grace collections being stored up within each one of us, and let’s acknowledge that the Kingdom of God is indeed already here with us, we just need to let is spread and rise from those collections of grace….and it is well with my soul.

Reading 1 EPH 5:21-33

Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the Church,
he himself the savior of the Body.
As the Church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the Church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the Church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the Church,
because we are members of his Body.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.

This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.
In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself,
and the wife should respect her husband.

Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia SEE MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 13:18-21

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”